The Family: A BLAST FROM THE PAST
by TricaLee
Summary: My AU: Victor's mutancy is showing itself and his father is sending him away for training with frineds.
1. Default Chapter

Summary: My AU with Victor and James in their past. Victor's mutancy is showing up and his father sends him away with his friends for training.

Genre: Adventure/General

Rating: PG for language and situations

Reviews: You bet....lots

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The Family: A Blast from the Past: Victor Goes Native

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Mr. John Howlett stood in front of his large house with his eldest son, speaking to another man. A group of horses were standing patiently nearby. One was fitted with large parcels strapped to its back. A young man dressed in buckskins was sitting on a large pinto horse waiting for his uncle who was visiting with Mr. Howlett. He stared at the blonde boy who was standing just a few feet away from the older men looking very sad and angry.

"Then it's agreed?" Asked Mr. Howlett, in a firm tone to other man.

"Yes, it is agreed." The other man agreed.

"Good. Let me speak with Victor then." Mr. Howlett said nodding.

"Of course." The other man said nodding and went over to the horses.

Mr. Howlett walked over to his son who was looking quite angry and rebellious.

"Victor......." Mr. Howlett began, but his son interrupted him.

"You're sending me away because of Her!" Victor said angrily.

"No, of course not." His father said, trying to sooth his son.

"She hates me!" Victor said his voice breaking.

"Victor that will be quite enough! Your mother does not hate you!" Mr. Howlett said sternly. It nearly broke his heart to think his son felt that way.

"It was an accident, I didn't mean too!" Victor said, nearly sobbing.

"Of course it was an accident…no one is blaming you." Mr. Howlett put a kind hand on his son's shoulders. "Look accidents happen, and she doesn't hate you." Victor looked down at his hands. His nails were long and sharp. No matter how much he cut them, they always grew back in only a few hours. And they were strong, they weren't nails anymore they were claws. He accidentally scratched his little brother and the scratch wasted no time in getting infected. James was weak on his best day and because of a little scratch he almost died.

"I am not sending you away just because of that. I'm sending you to live with my friends so they can teach you how to handle yourself. It'll give your mother a chance to calm down a bit, as well. She's just angry, she'll forgive you soon. Just give her a chance to miss you. And this way you have a chance to make new friends, learn new things. They can help you deal with what is happening to you."

"I'm a freak." Victor said glumly.

"You're not a freak. You're just different. Now I've talked to the Chief and he said that there have been people like you before, and he can help you." His father smiled at him.

"Really, I'm not the only one?" Victor asked with wide eyes.

"Hardly," Mr. Howlett chuckled. "Just go with them and learn what they want to teach you. Their people have been living like they have been for thousands of years and it's not a bad way to live. You'll see. Obey them to the best of your ability and just try to have a good time too. I bet that young man on the pinto would be a very good friend. He looks just about your age." Mr. Howlett knew that Victor as upset as he was, couldn't stay mad or sad for too long. A smile found its way to Victor's face. "Oh, look, here comes Thomas with your horse Malachi." Victor turned to look. Thomas was being dragged by a large black horse from the stables at a fast clip. The horse looked at Victor and whinnied. He broke away from Thomas… trotting up to Victor and nuzzling him affectionately.

"As you can see, Mr. Victor, Malachi brought me to you, again. I don't know why I even bother to ev……." Thomas turned and walked back to the stables shaking his head and muttering away. Victor and his father laughed.

Victor stopped laughing and looked at his father. "How long will I be gone?" He asked.

"That depends on what's going on here, and how you are doing. We'll just see how it goes, alright?" His father smiled at him and ruffled his son's long blonde hair. The boy was growing up so fast. He couldn't understand why one of his sons was hale and hearty and getting stronger and bigger by the day and the other just labored for breath and life. He understood his wife's anger, but he could bring himself to blame Victor for James's infection. James was sensitive to everything, and it was upsetting to see Victor taking the blame for something that might have happened anyway. He gave Victor a hug and propelled him to the horse's side and helped him get on.

"All right Malachi, be a good horse and take good care of Victor." Mr. Howlett said addressing the horse directly. The horse nickered. He patted the large black's neck and gave Victor a reassuring grip on the leg. "Have a safe trip son." Mr. Howlett said.

"Do not be concerned, John, your son will be fine." The man said with conviction.

"Thank you, Tracer. I would expect that he will be. Have a good journey home. If you need anything, you have only to send a messenger." Mr. Howlett said.

"Thank you John, but I doubt very much if we shall need anything." Tracer nodded to his nephew and the three of them rode away. Victor didn't notice that his mother was looking out the window watching him leave, she was crying softly.


	2. CHAPTER 2: VICTOR GOES NATIVE

Sorry for the delay in updating Blast from the Past Chalk it up to to many story ideas.

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BLAST FROM THE PAST: VICTOR GOES NATIVE: CHAPTER 2

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The three riders rode for many hours in relative silence. Victor was in no mood to talk and both of his new friends were not inclined to speak to him. The boy that was Victor's age stole looks to him from time to time, but said nothing.

It was getting dark and the sun was starting to go down. They came to a clearing and the man stopped his horse and said.

"We will camp here for the night. Tipanic, gather dry wood for a fire, and Victor would you help him?" The man asked.

"Yes, sir," Victor said quietly and got down off of Malachi. Making a campfire was not a new experience for him. He walked around and spotted some dry wood and picked it up and carried in his arms. "Where do want to build the fire, sir?" Victor asked politely. The man pointed to a dry round parcel of area that had a black circle. It looked as if someone had already made a fire there before. Victor dropped the wood at the indicated spot and wandered around to look for more wood. Malachi followed him.

"Malachi, it is not necessary for you to follow me everywhere I go, you silly horse." Victor said with some amusement. The horse merely nickered and pushed his head into Victor's chest rubbing him affectionately. Victor's somber mood lifted and he rubbed the horse's head between the ears roughly, scratching the places he knew Malachi liked to have scratched. Tipanic laughed.

"Your horse thinks he is a dog, yes?" Tipanic said laughing.

"Yes, he does. He's always been that way. Do you think he likes me a lot?" Victor asked innocently.

"I would appear that he does, Victor." Tipanic smiled.

"Is Tipanic an unusual name? I've never heard it before." Victor asked politely.

"My father said he read it in a book somewhere, but he never said what book. I think it's a made up name, myself." Tipanic said grinning.

"I like it. It is really different. My name is almost common." Victor said in a bored tone.

"Maybe, but at least people don't giggle when they hear it." Tipanic said, grinning.

"Did you hear me giggle once?" Victor asked innocently.

"No, I did not. But you've been kind of upset." Tipanic said, and almost regretted it instantly. Victor's smiled dimmed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"That's alright. I was upset. It was very unfair of me to think that about my parents. I know my mother doesn't hate me, but I couldn't help saying it." Victor sighed.

"I do that a lot myself. For some unknown reason I feel angry and find myself yelling at my father or mother. It's just the growing up part I really have learned to hate." Tipanic said sagely.

"Boys, I'll need more wood then that." Tracer called to the boys.

"Yes, Uncle," "Yes, sir," the boys chorused together. They immediately started to gather dry wood for the fire. Tracer smiled, it was good that the boys were starting to make friends. He chuckled when he noticed the large black horse follow Victor like a large friendly dog. The other horses, especially the pack horse ignored the large black one that insisted on following the boy around. The pinto Tipanic had been riding watched stoically as Malachi followed Victor.

Tracer suspected that there was more to Victor then met the eyes. John had explained that Victor was a little different at birth and had been changing rapidly in the last year or so. Tracer's plan was to turn Victor over to his younger brother for some training. But he was going to let him stay with the tribe's shaman to balance things out a bit. His brother Wolf Mane, what he insisted on being called, was an old traditionalist like his father; and Tracer wasn't about to turn Victor over to him 24/7 as John was incline to say.

Victor's differences were not totally obvious to anyone on first inspection. It did become obvious in constant company though. The tribal tales of such a person with those character traits and abilities had been passed down thru the ages and if Victor was one, it would be a good idea to train him as soon as possible.

The boys had gathered a great deal of dried wood for the fire and Tracer chuckled as Malachi kept following Victor about. He idly wondered if Malachi would insist on living in the cabin with Victor. Did all animals find him greatly attractive company, or was it just this horse? Well, according to John, Victor would be staying for awhile and he would be able to answer his own questions about the boy. He was polite and respectful, though he was going through the usual things that boys his age go through. The burst of anger was familiar; his own father with all his sons had been put thru a great deal of emotional trauma with five sons and four daughters it was a lot of trauma.

Several hours later, the fire had been burning just right to make enough heat and light for the night. The horses had been settled nicely and they were nodding off. The boys were talking quietly about what boys usually talk about. Tracer had feed them a fine meal and he could see that they were getting sleepy.

"Time for bed, boys," he chuckled a little to himself at the almost rebellious looks he was getting from them. But they obeyed with little fuss. They crawled into their bedrolls and settled down; they of course were still talking. He was glad that they seem to like each other well. It was a good idea to bring his nephew along. His own son was too old for such company and wouldn't have given Victor another thought.

Two hours later the boys had worn themselves out talking and now were asleep. The light from the fire made it possible for Tracer to give a good look at Victor. Victor's fingernails were starting to get darker and longer and they looked very sharp. John had told him that Victor cut his fingernails at least twice a day and they still grew back as long and sharp as ever. Victor's mouth was slightly opened as he breathed slow and steady in his sleep. Tracer could see that the canine of both top and lower were much longer and bigger then the average boy his age. Tracer calculated that in the coming years that they would only get longer and stronger with his growth, the same of his nails. Victor seemed to have a cat-like quality about him. In the way he moved and tilted his head to listen for noises about him. He would make a fine hunter and that would please Wolf Mane much.

The fire had died down a lot during the night and it needed a bit of wood and some poking to get going again to help make the breakfast. The boys were eager to help gather more firewood since it meant breakfast. Malachi resumed his following of Victor around and it appeared that he was trying to help…although it looked like he was making an amusing pest out of himself more then actually helping.

They continued on their journey and by late afternoon they had arrived at the village. There were many finely made cabins and some authentic looking tents that dotted the area clearly saying that this was an Indian living site. Many of the residents came out to greet them. The dogs fiercely barked in a happy excited frenzy at Chief Tracer's return.

It was only a few minutes later that Tracer noticed that the dogs and the cats were attracted to Victor and crowded around him affectionately. Victor was waylaid by Tracer's own large dog, who really didn't like anyone else. Victor giggled as the dog gave his face a good cleaning with his large wet tongue.

"That will be quite enough, Swifty. You get down and leave that boy alone." Tracer said sternly to the dog.

"That's alright sir, he's not bothering me." Victor grinned broadly, laughing.

"Well, then on your own head be it then." Tracer nodded and had several men unload the pack horse and take the horses to the corral. Malachi simply would not budge from his young master's side. The older man tried to pull him behind him, but Malachi dug his heels into the ground and his hunches were set firmly into not moving from his spot.

"Forget that one, George…that's Malachi and he's not going anywhere without Victor." Tracer said to George. George kind of huffed a bit and dropped the reins and gave the large black horse a stern glare. The horse snorted at him, "So there," he seemed to say. George couldn't believe it and began chuckling. Malachi strolled over to Victor and nudged him affectionately.

"Ah, so it's that way is it?" George shook his head and walked over to the rest of the horses and had no trouble leading the others away. Tipanic giggled.

"You know, he can't move into our house."

"Aw, why not?" Victor joked.

"He's too big to fit inside. Besides, Mum doesn't like animal in the house, not even a dog or cat…she really would not like a horse inside either." Tipanic said grinning.

"Ya know, my mother doesn't like animals in the house either. Must be a mother thing." Victor said with some wisdom.

"Must be." Tipanic confirmed.


End file.
